Boondockers
by Akayla's Pierced Heart
Summary: Conner and Murphy return to what they left behind in Boston and both get more than they bargained for. One is a daddy, the other finds his soul mate in an old one night stand. But will the girls they jilted eight years ago welcome them back?
1. Chapter 1

March 17, 1999

Brea had only twenty minutes left on her shift. She knew that precisely because she had just checked the purple watch on her left wrist. It was the same watch she had worn since she was fourteen. Granted, the battery had been changed several times. As she made her way down the hall her eyes searched for Doctor Buchanan. The last thing she wanted was to be next on his hit list. He had asked out nearly every nurse in the emergency room except Brea. She had made it safely to the long row of patient exam rooms without running into him, but her eyes still swiveled left to right before opening the door to Exam 6. She had been briefed on the patient needs and already had her mind set on a quick in-and-out. No sense in wasting the last of her shift on a few stitches. Glancing at her watch again she smiled. She closed the door behind her and finally faced her patient.

Brea came face-to-face with two attractive men who looked her age. Both looked like they had been in a fight. She mentally sighed. _When will people ever learn? _Plastering a smile on her face she moved towards the man sitting on the exam bed. He was holding his right hand in his left hand. A crude bandage had long since bled through. The other man stood off to the side staring at Brea.

"So, Mr. MacManus, let's see that hand." She busied herself with pulling her gloves on while trying not to stare at the other man still standing to her left.

"Murphy. Call me Murphy. Mr. just sounds weird." He spoke in a thick Irish accent that made Brea freeze for just a second. He held out the bandaged hand and Brea began to unwrap it.

"Get in a fight?" She asked but knew the answer.

"Aye. My brother pissed off the wrong girl and I had to stand up for his honor." He cocked his head towards the man still staring at Brea. She tried not to laugh.

"If she was a girl I want papers to prove it." The man finally spoke. He too had an Irish accent and Brea had to fight not to look at him.

"You hit her in the mouth didn't you." Brea's voice cracked and she cleared her throat.

"Aye. Didn't really aim, but, that's what I hit."

"Well, you may only need two or three stitches but cleaning this is gonna hurt like a mother. You never want to hit someone in the mouth. Way too easy to get infected."

"You speakin as a nurse or someone who gets in fights a lot?" Murphy laughed.

"I've seen my fair share of brawls that lead to some ugly infections. No one ever thinks about infection much which is why it's a top ten killer." She dabbed some medicine on the gashes that dotted the back of his hand and he hissed.

"See what standin up for people's honor gets ya." The other man said. He stepped towards Brea and the scent of smoke, and musky body odor hit her. To her surprise, she didn't find the smell offensive. The door to the room popped open and the man jumped back slightly. A pretty nurse with long, straight, blond hair sauntered into the already crowded room. She was a startling contrast to Brea with her tiny figure and bright bubble gum pink scrubs. Brea had a more curvy figure and dark brown hair that fell in tiny waves and barely touched her shoulders. Brea concentrated on stitching up Murphy's hand, paying no attention the other nurse.

"Have you changed your mind yet?" The blond nurse spoke in a voice two pitches higher than Brea's.

"Absolutely not." Brea's annoyed tone took both men by surprise.

"Come on it's Saint Patty's day. You're half Irish. There's like a law that says you _have_ to celebrate."

"No there isn't!" She finally faced the nurse behind her and found her gawking openly at Murphy. Rolling her eyes she went back to work.

"Actually I think there is." Murphy joked.

"You do realize I have a huge freaking needle in your hand right now?" She tried to sound mad but she cracked a grin at the last word. "Look Stacy, I'm not gonna be a third wheel to you and your date."

"I don't have a date… yet. But hey, if I can find us both dates will you go?" Brea knew she couldn't say no. Not after what happened last time she let Stacy go out by herself.

"Okay, if you can find us both dates by the end of my shift… I'll go out." She had finished with Murphy's hand and started pulling off her gloves. "And by the way, you now have…" Brea held up her purple watch. "Less than ten minutes. Wow, you better get to it." Brea smirked as she left the room. Stacy scowled as she watched her best friend leave. As she turned her eyes back to the man still sitting on the bed her scowl vanished.

"So, what are you two doing tonight?" She asked sweetly.

Brea walked back to the main entrance where she knew Stacy would be waiting probably ready to beg her to go out tonight. She had changed out of her dark blue scrubs and into her comfortable jeans and a simple black long sleeve v-neck blouse that hinted at her modest cleavage. She pushed the sleeves to the middle of her forearms, a habit she couldn't remember where she'd picked up, and walked quickly hoping her new doc martins would break in soon. Her feet had been throbbing most of the night. She caught sight of Doctor Buchanan and glued her eyes to the floor trying to pretend she hadn't seen him waving to her. Her pace quickened when she heard him call out her name. She was almost to the main lobby when a hand grabbed her arm.

"Brea, didn't you hear me call for you?" Buchanan demanded not letting her go.

"I'm in a hurry." Her voice weakened and she hated herself for it.

"I've been looking for you." His vice grip made her arm start to go numb. She pulled against it and he tightened.

"Hey there." They both turned and Brea saw Stacy and the man she had just stitched up. Murphy was walking towards them glaring at Buchanan. "Would you mind taking your hand off my brother's date?" The threat in his remark was clearly there.

"What?" He pulled Brea closer to him.

"He said, take your hand off my date." Buchanan suddenly let go and blood rushed to Brea's arm making it throb painfully. She didn't have to look up to see who had spoken. She moved closer to Stacy. Buchanan turned and walked away.

"He still pestering you?" Stacy tried to sound joking to ease the tension.

"Like a dog in heat." Brea smiled at Stacy's attempt to make her feel better.

"You alright?" Murphy asked genuinely concerned. Brea just nodded.

"Nice pick on dates huh." Stacy laughed. "We haven't even gone out yet and they are already standing up for our honor." Brea laughed and finally looked at her own date. "By the way, his name is Conner."

"Ask Murphy what standing up for people's honor gets ya." Brea said while pulling up her sleeve to inspect her arm. She saw Conner's smile disappear when he saw the welts in the shape of fingers left on her pale skin.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He stepped towards her and gently touched her elbow.

"I'm fine." She quickly replied pulling her sleeve down. "So you got stuck with me huh?"

"Actually, I picked you." The four left the hospital with Murphy explaining to Stacy why he had stood up for his brother earlier that day.

Once in Brea's tiny black Grand Am they had decided to eat out then go to a pub that they boy's knew well. The crowded little care pushed Conner and Brea so close that his scent once again invaded her nose. She wrinkled her face and tried to block out the voice telling her that she liked it. She could see Conner glancing around her car and thanked whatever it was that inspired her to clean it earlier that morning. Conner's eyes stopped on the string hanging from her rearview mirror. A small plastic picture frame hung on it. He pulled it closer to him. On one side was a picture of a woman with very dark hair and tan skin smiling happily at a man with brown hair and pale skin. He turned the frame over to see a picture of Brea and Stacy wearing graduation robes. He guessed from the braces both girls sported that this was taken while they were in high school.

"Are these your parents?" He asked casually.

"Yeah."

"I heard Stacy say you're half Irish…"

"On my dad's side." She smiled. "Mom was half English and half Cherokee. She moved her from Oklahoma when she got accepted to medical school out here. That's how she met Dad."

"He was a doctor?" Conner tried to keep the conversation going and ignored Stacy in the backseat giggling at something Murphy said.

"No, he was a patient of hers once. She liked his accent and asked him out. He worked construction." Brea left out the fact that her mom wasn't the only one who liked accents.

"Do they still live in Boston?" He regretted his question as soon as he saw Brea look at him. Her eyes…

"No, they passed away years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, you passed it!" Stacy exclaimed. Brea almost turned around and thanked Stacy for saving her from the awkward, 'It's okay,' reply she usually gave people when they asked about her parents. She made her U-turn in silence and Connor didn't speak again until they where in the diner.

Brea dug into her steak and potatoes while Stacy picked at her chicken salad. Both boys had also ordered steaks. Brea laughed at Stacy and asked why she was on a diet.

"I'm watching my figure." Stacy replied defensively. Murphy smirked as he looked at Stacy's tight jeans and flimsy pink blouse.

"There is nothing wrong with your figure girl." Brea looked at Conner and rolled her eyes.

"Well, not every one in the world wakes up at 5a.m. and runs five miles." Stacy said pointing her fork at Brea. "Your damn alarm wakes my happy ass up six days a week." Both men laughed.

"So you rest on the seventh day?" Murphy said still laughing. "Just like the Lord." Brea's face froze. She shrugged and went back to eating. Murphy and Conner exchanged a glance and Murphy changed the subject. They spent the rest of dinner telling the girls about themselves while Stacy jumped in now and then with a comment. Brea got up to use the bathroom while they waited for the check.

"Did I say something wrong earlier?" Murphy asked as soon as Brea was out of earshot.

"She hasn't spoken to, or very much about, God since she was nineteen."

"Why?" Conner had a pretty good idea why. "Her parents?"

"Not just that…" Stacy sighed. "The night her parents died someone broke into her house and robbed them. They shot her parents in their bed. Brea came home late and walked in on the robbery… One of them hit her over the head. She woke up, tied up and… They had raped her. She managed to get lose and found her parents… The guys who did it got off clean cause the cops had nothing to go on." She sighed again. "She doesn't talk about it. Her dad gave her this beautiful rosary with real black pearls and a silver cross. The day of the funeral she handed it to me and told me she and God weren't on speaking terms anymore. I still have it, just in case."

"That's fuckin horrible." Murphy felt like spitting. He hadn't known the girls long but he already liked them. Knowing that Brea had been hurt made him want payback. He could see Conner felt the same.

"She couldn't bear to part with her family home so she rents it out now. Another family lives there. She and I rent a three bedroom house near the hospital. We had another roommate but she got married last year." Stacy stopped herself from saying anything else when she saw Brea headed towards them. "Just don't ask her about it please." She whispered quickly. Both men nodded at her. "So, you ready?" Stacy asked before Brea could sit.

"Yeah," Brea smiled. Connor stood and placed his arm around Brea.

"You'll like Doc's place. I have to warn you though… He's an odd one."

"I think I can handle odd ones." Brea joked and pointed at Stacy.

"Hey!" Stacy said in mock anger. They had gotten all the way to Brea's car before she realized that Conner still had his arm around her. She felt comfortable with it there. The simple fact that she _knew_ she felt that way was the only thing about it that really bothered her. Normally men scared the hell out of her. But these two… Especially Conner… No. She shook the thought from her head.

Once in the pub Brea found out pretty quick why they called Doc "odd." After being introduced he had said…

"Can I get you something to FUCK… ASS!"

"No thanks, I'm good." Brea said it so straight faced that everyone laughed. Brea stuck to soda using the excuse that she was the DD of the night. Stacy however, in regular Stacy fashion, drank herself silly in less than an hour.

"See, this is why I can't let her out on her own." She said to Conner pointing to Stacy who was sitting on Murphy's lap at the bar downing her twenty-something shot of the night. She and Conner had sat down at a booth across from the bar. Conner laughed.

"You're pretty protective of her aren't you." Conner smiled but his eyes were serious.

"She's all I have. We've been friends all our lives." She pulled up her sleeves and inwardly cursed at her weird habit. Conner saw a small tattoo half hidden under her purple watch.

"What's that?" He asked touching her wrist. She unclipped her watch and Conner could see the tattoo was a black braid that went all around her wrist like a bracelet. On the inside of her wrist were three strings that connected to the braid. On one string was a four leaf clover, the second was a feather, and the third was the letters S. A.

"The clover and the feather are my parents. S. A. is Stacy Albert. I would have put her middle initial too but she hates her middle name." Brea smiled.

"What is it? I won't tell her you told me." He grinned and leaned towards her.

"Dorthia. It was her great-grandma's name."

"And what's Brea short for? Breanne?"

"No, it's Aubrey-Elle. Aubrey-Elle Iliana Shaw. Long freakin name, but my mom loved it, so my dad couldn't say no. He was the one who always called me Brea." She paused for a few seconds and put her watch back on. "She told you about how they died didn't she?" Brea couldn't meet his eyes. "She had that pity look on her face when I came back from the bathroom. And the sudden happy face and subject change gave her away too."

"Ya, she told us." She still wouldn't look at him. "She told us everything." Her eyes shot up. "And asked us not to ask you about it. Don't be mad at her."

"No, I'm not. It's kinda a relief when I don't have to explain it. I'm not weird about it. I've had counseling and everything. It helped with some things. I mean, I can leave the house without looking over my shoulder every five seconds." She laughed lightly and Conner smiled. They both looked up when the door to the pub burst open and a man with long dark hair came in.

"Hey Fuck Ass gimme a bear!" He yelled over the noise in the pub. Conner got up and gave the guy a hug. Brea stayed at the booth. After the guy greeted everyone at the bar Conner rejoined Brea at the booth.

"That's a friend of ours, Rocco." He pointed to the bearded guy who was now joking around with Murphy and Stacy. Brea propped her head on her hand and sighed. "Tired?"

"No, just kinda…" She looked away.

"What?" He touched her arm. He had been touching her like that all night and she hadn't flinched once. Just little touches here and there. It felt good to her and confused her at the same time. She knew how turned on she was but made sure her guard was up. Conner saw her blush. "Tell me what you're thinking." She popped up and leaned back surprised. Could he see how conflicted she was?

"I just… I don't normally talk this freely around people I just met." She stammered.

"I'm glad you can with me." He took her hand and circled his index finger on the inside of her palm. Her entire body shuddered and he smiled. "Do you wanna get out of here? Go somewhere less… Noisy." Brea looked at Stacy. She and Murphy were already pawing at each other. "I think they're ready to go…" Brea nodded and stood up.

The door to the pub slammed open again and three huge men came in. The room quieted and Conner, sensing danger, got up and led Brea to the bar.

"I am Ivan Chekov," The bald man in the middle said. "And you, will be closing now." The man closest to Brea looked her up and down then smirked. Conner pulled her protectively close.

"Chekov?" Murphy said pulling Stacy behind him. "Well, this here's McCoy. We find a Spock we got us an away team." Brea couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm in no mood for discussion. You, you stay. The rest of you, go now."

"Why don't you make like a tree." Doc spoke up. "And get the fuck outta here!"

Conner stepped up. "Fellers, you know he's got till the weeks end right. You don' have to be hard asses do ya?"

"Yeah." Murphy joined in. "It's Saint Patty's day. Everyone's Irish tonight. Why don't you just pull up a stool and have a drink with us?"

"This is no game!" Ivan yelled and smashed Conner and Murphy's drinks to the floor. "If you won't go, we will make you go."

"Listen if you want a fight, you can see you're outnumbered here." Conner said calmly. Brea put her hand on his back. "We're trying to be civil so I suggest you take our offer."

"I make the offers." Ivan said threateningly. Brea glanced to Stacy who looked surprisingly calm standing close to Murphy.

"Easy now, there are ladies present." One of the other guys at the bar said.

"I see no ladies…" He said looking at Brea and Stacy. "I see only little whores." Conner moved like he was gonna hit Ivan but Brea grabbed the back of his shirt. She saw Stacy do the same to Murphy.

"Hey Boris!" Rocco stepped forward. "What if I told you, your mother sucked so much…" Brea closed her eyes and shut out the rest. She knew what was going to happen next. When she felt Conner move forward again she let him go. She and Stacy ran to the bathroom and stayed until they couldn't hear shouting and banging anymore.

They came out just in time to see Conner throw a match on Ivan. Brea made her way to the door not even checking to see if Stacy was with her. When she got outside the cold night air sent goose bumps up her arms. She heard the door open but instead of Stacy, Conner was looking at her.

"I couldn't let him get away with what he called you." All the joking was gone from his face.

"I work in an ER. I've been called worse you know." She started laughing. "I can't believe you lit some guys ass on fire." Conner laughed with her. "It's so bad but it's just so funny!" Murphy came out carrying Stacy.

"My date passed out." He said smiling.

"Don't worry, she usually doesn't stay out for long. By the time we get home she'll come around." She looked back at Conner. "Do you guys need a ride home or do you wanna crash somewhere else?" Brea glanced back at Murphy.

"Is it cool if we stay with you tonight?" Murphy asked. "Stacy said you have a spare room."

"Are you actually planning on using said spare room?" Brea smirked. Stacy was stirring in his arms.

"Not really." Murphy didn't bother lying. Brea shook her head and pulled out her keys.

Half an hour later Brea was sitting at her computer in her room when she heard the unmistakable sound of sex in the room at the other end of the hall. This went on for about ten minutes, then she heard a light tap on her door.

"Come in," she said without thinking. The door opened making the sex louder for a few seconds before it closed again. She swiveled around in her chair and her heart jumped nearly out of her chest. Conner stood there wearing only jeans. Trying to regain her composure she swallowed. "Kinda hard to get any sleep with that on the other side of the wall?"

"A bit yeah." He grinned. Brea tensed as she remembered she was only wearing cotton shorts and a camisole. "I was gonna go downstairs and see if the couch was better."

"And you ended up here…" Brea's hand went to her neck for no conscious reason.

"I'm not really sure why…" He moved till he was standing right over her. His scent flew up her nostrils and she suddenly felt dizzy. Her hands found their way to his stomach. He pulled her up and she wrapped her arms around him. He was so warm. "You're shaking." He whispered in her ear causing her to shiver more violently. "Tell me what you're thinking." He looked her in the eye. She kissed him hard on the mouth. He answered with a feverish kiss of his own. His tongue tasted bitter like beer and smoke but she didn't care. He sucked on her bottom lip and she moaned. Suddenly her feet left the floor and she was on her bed.

"How is this happening?" She gasped as he kissed and suckled her neck. He stopped and looked at her. "I don't do this…" Her breath was heavy. "I don't sleep with a guy I just met…"

"If you don't want it.." She pulled him down and wrapped her legs around him.

Brea woke up to the sound of her alarm going off. She tried to et up to shut it off but something held her down. For a few seconds she panicked. Until she turned her head and saw that Conner's face right next to her. She pushed his arm away and slammed her hand on her alarm clock. Connor jumped slightly and opened his eyes.

"Morning love." He said sliding his hand down her arm. "Gonna go for your run?"

"No, I can think of another way to get my morning workout…" She ginned wickedly.

Two hours later…

Brea couldn't stop smiling as she pulled on her jeans and a dark purple shirt. Conner watched her get dressed from the bed.

"I can't decide what I like more…" He said throwing the sheet off of him. "Watching you get undressed or watching you blush while you put your clothes back on." She laughed and threw his pants at him.

Downstairs Stacy smirked at Brea who was still blushing and ginning like an idiot.

"Congrats Conner." Stacy blurted out. "I never thought anything could keep her in bed allll morning long." Brea turned and with her hands on her hips replied.

"Well Stace, we know you can be _louder_ but I'm in such good shape from workin out so much… I _can_ stay in bed allll morning long." Conner and Murphy busted up laughing.

After breakfast Brea had to get to work so she dropped Conner and Murphy near the pub. Conner had promised to call her later before kissing her goodbye. The boys had just settled in when their door crashed open. Ivan and the other baldy from the pub came bursting in.

Eight Years Later

Conner sat outside of Doc's pub smoking. The night air sent chills down his back but he barely noticed. As soon as he had seen Boston Harbor only two thoughts registered in his mind: find out who killed the priest and the woman he still loved. He had only had one night with her and had never seen her again. He hadn't called her like he promised either. At the time he didn't think he would ever leave Boston. But after the courtroom shooting he had to leave. And she had probably heard all about that on the news. Conner flicked the cigarette out of his hand.

"I miss ya Brea." He said out loud.

"Why don't you go and find her." Conner jumped at the sound of Murphy's voice. "I'll bet she still works at the same hospital." Murphy spoke casually but Conner could tell he wasn't teasing. Without replying Conner stood up and walked off into the night.

Brea looked at the purple watch on her left wrist. Same routine, different night… She sighed and made her way to the locker rooms on the lower level. Standing in front of the elevator on the fourth floor she could see her reflection. As she waited for the doors to open she saw someone walk up and stand behind her. Her eyes wondered around the hall, bored. It had been a crazy few weeks in Boston but Brea rarely turned on the news these days. Her T.V. was either on The Cartoon Network or one of Stacy's workout videos. Growing impatient she began to tap one foot lightly on the linoleum floor. She could swear the guy behind her was grinning at her but she was too scared to turn around to see. Her fear dissipated when two more nurses joined the grand wait for the elevator. Finally the door opened and Brea rushed in. She leaned her right shoulder against the wall after she hit the lower level button. The man and the two nurses stood behind her. The nurses got off on the next floor. Once on the lower level Brea found the hall completely empty. This wasn't uncommon for two a.m. But she could hear the steady footsteps of the man behind her. Her pace quickened, so did his. He reached out and grabbed her from behind.

Just as she had practiced so many times, Brea grabbed the arm that held her and used her own weight to throw the man over her shoulder. He cried out in surprise. When his back smacked against the floor Brea was ready to attack… Until she saw his face.

"Murphy?" She nearly yelled his name.

"Hello to you too." He slowly got up rubbing his butt with one hand. "That fuckin hurt."

"I'm sorry." She took a step toward him then paused. Her eyes narrowed. "Wait, no I'm not. What the fuck do you think is gonna happed when you grab someone like that?"

"Well, I didn't count on being thrown on my ass by a girl half my size. Where the fucked you learn to do that anyway."

"I took self defense lessons a couple years ago."

"Well, good for you. They certainly paid off."

"Murphy what are you doing here." Her voice became very serious. "Last time I saw your face was on a news broadcast. Why would you risk this?"

"Me and Conner came to find who killed that priest."

"I figured that. I mean why are you here at the hospital."

"Aren't you going to ask me about Conner?"

"If Conner wanted me to know how he was doing he would tell me." She crossed her arms.

"So you _are_ bitter."

"No, bitter disappeared when I found out…" She cut herself off. "When I realized I had to get on with me life…"

"Brea!" Brea turned as her friend Maggie came out of the locker room calling her name.

"Maggs," Brea tried to think of a way to get rid of her quickly.

"Listen," Maggie interrupted her. "I can baby sit Patrick for you next week if you still want the overtime. My plans fell through so I'm free." Brea choked back whatever reply she had and simply nodded. "Okay great." Maggie started to walk away.

"Patrick?" Murphy asked suspiciously.

"Don't get her started…" Maggie laughed as she walked away. "She can talk about her son for days." Brea stood there completely stunned.

"You have a son?"

"_We_ have a son…"

"We?"

"Me and Conner."


	2. Chapter 2

Brea eased her foot onto her brake pedal in front of Doc's pub. She couldn't bring herself to look at Murphy.

"Are you gonna tell him?" She said still looking at the steering wheel and hiding behind her hair. Over the years she had let it grow out and now it was a wavy curtain that fell down her back.

"Don't you think _you_ should?" He unbuckled his seatbelt but didn't move to open the door.

"I can't think how…"

"It's not so hard. Conner, you got me pregnant and now we have an eight year old."

"Seven… His birthday is in December." She pulled her watch back enough for him to see the addition to her bracelet tattoo. **PCS 12.17.99 **The numbers and letters were tiny, but legible.

"What does the C stand for?"

"Conner. Patrick Conner Shaw. I named him after the day we met…"

"Brea, he needs to know."

"Why?" She shouted causing him to jump. "So he can tell me it's not his problem?" She faced him and continued shouting before he could interrupt her. "So he can tell me how sorry he is? The only reason you came back was for your revenge or justice or whatever the hell you call it so you can sleep at night! You want me to introduce my son to his father and say, 'oh here is your father Patrick. Sorry he wasn't in your life before now. You'll just have to forgive him. He was on the run from the law because he killed a shit load of people!' I can't do that to him. I can't let him fall in love with Conner just so he can leave him when your job is finished. What kind of a father could Conner be anyways? He can't even show his face in public! How much could he actually care about the bastard result of a one night stand he probably forgot about a week after it happened? "

"Brea." Murphy remained calm.

"Get the fuck outta my car."

"Brea."

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY CAR!"

Suddenly the driver's side door was being wrenched open. Brea had no time to react as a pair of strong hands undid her seatbelt and pulled her from the car. Arms wrapped around her shoulders and her heavy breathing shot a familiar scent straight up her nose. She kicked out trying to get away but only succeeded in kicking her door shut. Murphy had scrambled out the car and was now crossing to stand in front of Brea.

"Let me go!" She screamed.

"Just calm down." Murphy said and held up his hands. Brea didn't know if he was talking to her or the man who had just grabbed her and was still holding her tightly.

"Please…" She sobbed quietly. "Please just leave me alone. Just let me go." She was taking in huge breaths and began to wheeze. The cold night air never agreed with her lungs. She could feel her chest tighten. "Just forget about me." She was losing her strength.

"I could never do that." It was barely a whisper in her ear. Then there was nothing.

Brea sat straight up. The first thing she saw was a finger painting hanging on the wall. She recognized it immediately. She was in her room. Her hand went to her forehead. How had she ended up here? The last thing she remembered was a fight with Murphy, then…

"Oh God no.." She threw the covers off of her and took a second to wonder who had put her in a nightshirt and shorts. Shaking her head she bolted out of her room and down the hall. Patrick wasn't in his room. Panic welled up inside her as she stopped at the last room before the stairs. She threw the door open. Murphy was sprawled on Stacy's bed clad in only jeans. "No, no, no, no." She raced down the stairs nearly falling in the process. "Patrick!" She yelled in desperation.

"He's at school." The voice was so calm. Brea's blood froze in her veins. Slowly she turned toward her kitchen table. Conner and Stacy were sitting there as if it were any other Tuesday morning drinking coffee and eating pancakes. Stacy smiled and waved. Conner's face was a careful kind of calm. The look you might see on someone who was intentionally trying to keep his cool. Brea couldn't make herself move. She knew he had heard every word she had said against him in the car. Both of the windows had been down. She had never meant for it to happen like that.

"Well, I think I'm gonna go see if Murphy is awake." Stacy downed the last of her coffee, which was mostly cream and sugar, and left the kitchen. Brea almost followed her but Conner spoke up.

"Sit down." Too terrified to disobey she sat across from him. The little four seated table did little to distance them. He pushed his unfinished breakfast to the side and took another drink of coffee. "Why do you look so damned scared?" he asked impatiently. Her eyes fell away from his face. "You think I'm gonna hurt you," he accused.

"Please, I…" She blurted it out so suddenly he twitched. "I mean, aren't you mad at me? For what I said to Murphy…"

"Well I suspect that all that had been boiling up inside you for a while just waiting for the chance to explode." The calm was back in his voice and it unnerved Brea. Was she really so used to abusive men that this surprised her so much? Had Stacy told him about the string of controlling boyfriends she had had in that last eight years and what it had done to her self esteem? Did she tell him the reason Brea had paid for all those self defense lessons? Knowing Stacy, yes, she probably had. "What are you thinking?" The question made Brea swallow hard.

"Did you tell him?" Brea's voice came out shaky.

"Yes, Stacy and I told him together. He seems to understand a lot for his age."

"He's head of his class." A Mommy Proud moment came over her. "What did he say?"

"He didn't have many questions. He stayed up half the night just telling me about himself. He was so keyed up, Stacy told him he could stay home but he said he wanted to go."

"Yeah, he likes school." Brea wondered how this conversation had turned so trivial so quickly. "You're not mad?" She tried not to sound so shocked but he read it on her face.

"Mad, no… I was shocked when I heard your conversation with Murph. I was offended when you said 'how could I love my son.' But mad? That never came up."

"You're mad now. I can see it. I can see that at any minute you might snap."

"Aye, but trust me love, it's not cause of you." She cocked her head quizzically. "Stacy told me about Mark." His eyes narrowed for a second.

"Just Mark?" Again, she just blurted it out. After all these years her inner monologue still short circuited around Conner.

"No, not just Mark…" He reached out and took her shaking hands. He held them for a few seconds looking at them. Her trembling stopped and he looked her in the eyes. "She got pretty pissed when we showed up with you unconscious in my arms. She thought I _had_ done something to ya." He grinned. "She started shouting and threatening to call the police. Once we got her calmed down Murph explained what happened. I took you to your room and put ya to bed. That's when I saw the scar…" Brea's eyes widened for a second. The crescent shaped scar on her lower left side was Mark's handiwork. He had done it the night she had broken it off with him. Mark was a cop so at first Brea had felt safe with him. When he started bringing his work home with him, Brea had feared not only for herself, but Patrick too. He had been the last of four guys she had dated since Patrick was born. When she had finally come to realize Conner wasn't coming back.

"Conner…"

"Stacy said it was my fault you threw yourself at all those guys. She said I made you feel unwanted… Like you were just a regret. But the only regret I had was leaving you." He turned her hand around in his and circled his index finger inside her palm. "She said I weakened you. But you went out and made yourself stronger." His grin came back. "Murph told me how you slammed him on his ass…" He laughed lightly making her smile too. "I know you don't trust me." His voice was serious again. "But I'm gonna do right by ya this time."

"Right?" Brea suddenly didn't like where this was headed.

"You know, be a father. As soon as we do what we came here to do I'm gonna do the right thing and take you and Patrick away from here. It's my obligation." He thought he was calming her down but he felt her hands start to tremble again. He looked up expecting to still see fear and doubt in her eyes but he was shocked to see nothing but seething anger. She snatched her hands away from him and stood up so quickly she knocked the chair back.

"Obligation?" Her voice was steady. "Your obligation?" Connor realized that might not have been the best word to use. "You think that you can just show up and expect me to let you sweep me off my feet and make all nice with my son?" Her voice started to rise. She knew she was losing it. Connor was right, this had all been boiling up inside her. But she wasn't near finished letting it all out yet. "You son of a bitch!"

"Now just a damn minute." Conner rose his feet and pushed the little table so that nothing was between them.

"I'm not finished!" Conner's mouth hung open. Brea took a step towards him and waved her finger in his face. "If you think you can just come back here cause it's suddenly convenient for you the be a dad, then I've got news for you! Patrick and I are just fine on our own. We have been for quite some time."

"Just fine?" He was shouting too. "You call being put in the hospital four times then being stabbed in the gut 'just fine?'" He closed the distance getting right in her face. "Dammit Brea why can't you just let me help you? I feel horrible that I left you."

"I don't need your pity!" She held out her arms not letting him get close to her.

"Brea just stop." He grabbed her left wrist. "Just let me talk."

"No! Get away from me!" She pulled against him. "Let go."

"I'm not letting ya run away. We're goin to talk." She slammed her fist right into his jaw. After all the lectures she had given to how many people about how dangerous it was to hit someone in the mouth, she finally realized why they all did it anyway. It felt so good. Her hand throbbed. Her entire arm ached from the power she had out behind the jab… But seeing the look of utter bewilderment on Conner's face, not to mention his hurt pride, was so satisfying… Then fresh terror washed through her. Would he hit her back?

Conner watched the play of emotions cross her face. The last one hurt him the most. The fear, he knew why it was there. He felt her body slacken and he pulled her close to him. Wrapping his arms around her unmoving body he willed himself not to squeeze her too tightly. He wanted to just hold her and comfort her and tell her it would all be okay… But with the irrational mood she was in, it would fall on deaf ears.

"Oh Brea… He whispered into her ear. "What did I do to you?" He hated himself even more as he felt her tears against his cheek.

Stacy and Murphy were both at the top of the stairs listening.

"Should we go down there?" Stacy asked quietly.

"Nah, give 'em a few more minutes." Murphy replied. Stacy was still wearing her version of pajamas, which wasn't much. Murphy found himself feeling something more than just lust as he looked her up and down. When they had first met, Stacy was skin and bones. Now she had developed well toned muscles and cut her all her mousy hair up to her chin. It made her long neck look even more kissable. "So what about you?" Murphy asked still looking at her neck. Her bright blue eyes faced him questioningly. "Any men in your life?" He asked covertly.

"Not at the moment." She smirked and made her way back to her bedroom. Murphy followed her in and sat on her vanity chair. She went into her private bathroom and shut the door. A minute later she came out wearing skinny jeans and a baby blue long sleeve shirt. She ran a comb through her hair and sat down on her big pink bed. "What about you? What have you been doing?"

"Nothing too exciting." He rubbed the back of his neck. Stacy laughed and tossed the comb onto the nightstand beside her. "I uh… I really appreciate you not throwing us out last night. I know you wanted to."

"Murphy, I'm not like Brea. I can take rejection you know. We had one night of incredible drunken sex. I knew then that you'd probably never call me. I wasn't a slut or anything then, and I'm not one now. But much unlike Brea, I'm also not a hopeless romantic way too influenced by emotion rather than rational thinking." Murphy's respect for Stacy shot up several degrees.

"Is that why you moved back in with her? To protect her?" Stacy had told Connor and Murphy the previous night that for a few years she had her own apartment. There wasn't a fight or anything, both women just needed to be on their own for a while. It was also around the time Brea had finally started dating and Stacy wanted her to have her space. But after Mark attacked and stabbed Brea, Stacy moved back in.

"Yeah, it's weird though. She used to be the one who protected me… Now I'm the one…" Stacy's eyes wondered to a jewelry box sitting on her vanity. Murphy looked at the ornately carved wooden box and then back at her. She got up and opened the lid. Murphy could see her take out a picture.

"I took this of Brea and Patrick a few weeks ago." The picture showed Brea holding Patrick, the spitting image of his father, on her lap. Her long hair wrapped around her shoulders like a shawl. They were both laughing into the camera. "Give it to him would you?" She handed him the snapshot. "I know Brea would want him to have it. Even if she would never admit it." Murphy put the picture in the inside pocket of his coat which had been hanging on the back of the vanity chair. He stood up and pulled on his shirt. Tucking his rosary inside his shirt he turned and found Stacy watching him.

"Come on, they might be finished cryin and shit. I'm hungry." He grabbed his coat. Stacy laughed and they both left the room.

Downstairs Brea had finished crying. To Stacy's surprise Connor was sitting on the couch cradling Brea and whispering in her ear. Neither Stacy or Murphy spoke while she showed him where the pancake mix was and fixed him a cup of coffee. The sound of the frying pan sizzling to life reminded Conner that Brea hadn't eaten and he asked Murphy to make a couple of pancakes for her. Brea felt like protesting. She didn't want to be babied. But she also knew she might not have a choice. She had been acting like a child, so Conner was treating her like one. She had it coming.

After a few minutes Conner detached himself from her and pulled her back to the table. A plate was placed in front of her. She looked up into Conner's stern eyes and had the feeling that if she didn't eat, he was fully prepared to force feed her. Mechanically she picked up her fork and shoved the food into her mouth. It had no taste to her. She wanted to be angry again. She wanted to stand up and yell some more. Conner had no right to come in and boss her around, or expect to pick up where they left off. The thoughts swam through her head actually making it sway back and forth. She could feel the heat rising up again. But then she looked into Stacy's eyes and it was Stacy she hated. Beautiful, carefree Stacy, with everything to live for. Brea hated her because she suddenly envied her. If she were like Stacy she would be able to just throw all these emotions away like a used Kleenex.

Now she felt guilty. None of this was Stacy's fault. None of it was really anybody's fault… Except maybe God's fault… And people wondered why she refused to talk to God. Plus, He was such an easier scapegoat for all her anguish. Yeah, we'll blame all this on God. With that all settled in her mind, she began to eat again.


	3. Chapter 3

Brea stood in front of the kitchen sink filling it with hot water. She squeezed the dish soap bottle a little too hard without realizing it. She knew she was being watched. Supervised like some damn kid who couldn't be left alone. The front door of the house led straight into the small living room, which connected to the dinning area, and finally straight back to the kitchen. The whole space was actually one big room with the stairs off to the side of the living room. She could hear Stacy and Conner talking but by the time it reached her ears it was just mumbles. Murphy stood leaning against the counter watching her. He knew Brea had been hurt terribly but he couldn't figure out why she was acting out so childishly. He understood that women could be irrational when they were angry, but this was a whole new level of 'fuck you.'

He had actually had a lot of fun getting to know his nephew last night. Patrick had taken to Conner quickly, calling him Dad as soon as Stacy told him who he was. He had taken Conner by the hand begging him to come see his room. There was a bunk bed, a dresser, and various junk cluttered around but Patrick was proud to show it off. After he had stayed up for hours, Conner finally got him to go to sleep with the promise that he would still be there in the morning. Conner had even slept on the lower bunk bed so he could stay close to Patrick. Murphy had slept downstairs for a few hours on the couch.

When morning came Patrick woke Conner up asking if he would have breakfast with him. Conner got up and made pancakes for him. Conner had never felt so proud of doing anything in his life. He knew there'd be hell to pay when Brea finally woke up, but sitting down and watching his son eat a breakfast he had made just for him… Nothing could have spoiled the moment for him. He helped Patrick get his school things together while Patrick told him about a science project he was working on, the main reason he didn't want to miss school. And he even sat on the front porch and waited with him for the bus.

Murphy had seen all of this before finally passing out on Stacy's bed after she had come downstairs. Now as he watched Brea scrub the few breakfast dishes he started to understand why she was so angry. Brea had been making Patrick's breakfast for eight years. She had packed his school bag for him a million times. She had done all she could to shield him from the violence in her life. She had searched for a father figure for him and had her own soul damaged in the process. Now along comes Conner, with a violent life of his own, suddenly expecting to just pop in and be a dad.

"You do know it's not just about Patrick don't you?" Murphy asked causing Brea to look up.

"Excuse me?" She had said it politely. Murphy had expected sarcasm but instead she looked at him really _wanting _to know what he meant.

"The reason he stayed. It wasn't just for Patrick. He loves you too ya know. He talked about you a lot while we were… Away."

"He knew me for one night eight years ago. How is that love?" She spoke quietly not wanting Conner to hear.

"Well, you certainly fell in love with him. Otherwise you wouldn't be hurting so much." He paused for a second. "Do ya hate him now?"

"That's the problem." She stopped what she was doing and wiped off her hands. "I can't bring myself to stop loving him long enough to hate him. And when he leaves again… I can't handle that. And now Patrick has to feel it too. That's why I'm so pissed. Patrick…"

"Conner doesn't plan on leaving you here. You or Patrick, he loves you both." He stepped closer to her. "You can't see that? Or are you gonna run away from it because you can see it and it scares you?" They heard a cell phone ring. Brea turned and saw Conner fish a phone from his pocket and flip it open. "Listen, when all this I over, we'll be a proper family. You can come back with us and…"

"Murph." Conner cleared his throat. Without looking at Brea he addressed his brother. "Rome just called. We're meeting with his uncle in twenty minutes." He turned back to Stacy. "Can you give us a lift?" Stacy nodded then glanced at Brea before going to get her coat. Conner moved towards Brea and Murphy went to stand by the front door. Brea backed up till she hit the sink. He had such a serious expression on his face that it scared her. He stopped only inches from her and took a deep breath. His hands caressed her face gently and his forehead touched hers. She closed her eyes. "I'll come back for you. I promise Brea." He kissed her lips softly. "Please keep safe." She didn't open her eyes again till she heard her door open and close.

"You better come back." she whispered.

/

Stacy fought against the ropes binding her. Her wrists were tied to the arms of the chair and after she had kicked some guy in the balls, they had tied her ankles to the legs of the chair. She could hear the shooting going on and knew Conner and Murphy had finally come. She didn't know how long she had been locked in the damn closet but she wasn't about to let the boys leave without finding her. She screamed into her gag and did her best to scoot the chair as close to door as she could. When she got close enough she leaned forward and banged her head against the door. Afraid they hadn't heard her she did it several more times.

"What the fuck is that?" Murphy asked as they finished placing their pennies on the eyes of the men they had just slain.

"What?" Conner looked around.

"Listen." Murphy got up and moved towards a door. Conner joined him and they could clearly hear something banging against the door. "Rome, get over here and open this." Conner and Murphy both stood away from the door pointing their guns, ready to fire. Romeo opened the door and quickly moved out of the way. Stacy, and the whole chair, lurched forward out of the closet causing Stacy to land on her head. She groaned and managed to roll to the side. Murphy dropped his gun and pulled out a knife to cut her lose. "Rome, search the rest of this place, make sure no one else is here!" Conner was already searching around. Murphy helped Stacy to her feet.

"They're not here." She said slowly. She looked straight at Conner. "They took us… The day after you guys were at our place. They took Brea and Patrick somewhere else. I heard him," she pointed at Yakavetta, "say something about taking them to 'the old man.' Because he wanted Patrick… They're gone…" She sobbed and leaned against Murphy.

The boys took Stacy to Doc's and she passed out on a recliner in the room upstairs. She had been out for maybe fifteen minutes when the sound of gunfire jolted her awake. She grabbed the .45 Murphy had left with her to make her feel safe, and ran down the stairs. She got there just in time to see an old man walk through the door towards a Hispanic guy. She recognized him as the one who had taken Brea and Patrick by gunpoint from the Prudential building. Murphy and Conner jumped out from behind the bar and rushed to a man on the floor covered in blood. As the scene unfolded before her, she realized that the older man was Conner and Murphy's father. Her vision blurred and she nearly fainted when she saw the Hispanic go down. How would they find Brea and Patrick now?

Conner, Murphy, and Noah sat at Brea's kitchen table. Stacy was asleep upstairs. Noah had just finished explaining to his sons why he had been in prison.

"Why ya didn't flip on him Da? The guy fucked ya." Conner said angrily.

"He had just learned of the birth of my sons." Noah replied.

"Speaking of…" Murphy looked at Conner.

"Da, this man has my son and his mother." Noah's eyes widened. "Eight years ago, before all this started… I met a girl. Brea… After we left she found out she was pregnant. I only met him a few days ago. His name is Patrick. This old _friend_ of yours has them both."

"Well," Noah leaned forward and rubbed his palms together. "Then it's time Louie and I settled this."

/

Noah sat across from his old friend.

"Hello Louie."

"Noah." Louie answered him.

"You haven't got much time." Louie said something about his garden. No doubt to stall.

"You were born a killer. It is in the blood."

"No." Noah refused to let Louie get to him.

Downstairs Conner and Murphy found their father's rosary hanging on the stair post. They signaled Romeo. "Find Brea." Conner whispered. Romeo nodded and the boys made their way up the stairs.

Brea had tried for the hundredth time to break the rope that tied her to the chair. Patrick was beside her. He had stopped crying hours ago. Now he only stared at the floor sniffing.

"Baby look at me." He looked up at her with puffy eyes. "No matter what happens, I love you."

"I love you too Mommy." His voice cracked. Brea tried no to let the tears run. She couldn't let Patrick see it. But they came. Anguish built up inside her and she let out a wail.

"Did you hear that?" Conner asked in a hushed tone. Murphy nodded. They headed back down the stairs. They could see Romeo headed towards a staircase that led to the basement. All three of them rushed towards the sound of the shouting.

"Let us go you sons-a-bitches!" Conner couldn't help but smile at the sound of Brea's voice. They were alive. "Let us go!" When Conner reached the bottom Brea had her back to him but Patrick saw him.

"Dad!" He shouted excitedly. "I knew you'd come for us!" Brea whipped her head around so fast it hurt her neck. She could feel someone cutting her lose. She saw Murphy run to Patrick's side and cut his ropes. Strong arms helped her to her feet and held her for a second. The brief hug was broken by Patrick silently demanding his own hug. Conner picked him up and squeezed him.

"Listen," he said setting Patrick down. "Go with Romeo and get the hell outta here. There's a van nearby to get ya to safety. Where Stacy is. Go now." Brea didn't move.

"What about you?" She demanded.

"We'll be right behind you." He bent down and hugged Patrick again. "You take care of your ma now. I'll see you soon, I promise." Conner took his father's rosary and put it around Patrick's neck. "Hold on to this for me kay." He kissed him in the forehead and he and Murphy made their way back up the stairs.

A.N. I know this was short but the whole fic was meant to be kinds short anyways. I'm wrapping it up, maybe 1 or 2 more chapters. The last will be the longest. I just didn't want to write out the whole movie. (which I don't own by the way) Thanx for all the reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

**Brea held Patrick's hand as the SUV jumped and jerked along the bumpy dirt road. Connor's uncle, Sibeal, was trying to navigate around the potholes. Stacy was in the passenger seat slumped over, lightly snoring. The woman who Brea had been introduced to just an hour ago smacked and popped the gum in her mouth. Eunice Bloom, formerly FBI, now a deemed felon, hadn't said much for most of the trip. The big question on everyone's mind was how were they going to rescue their boys. **

**Romeo had been lucky. He had gotten Brea and Patrick out just as he had promised. On the way out Brea saw something that had shocked and excited her. She new the old man had hired several gun men to take out Connor and Murphy. And apparently the money he was going to pay them was sitting in a suitcase on the kitchen table. She saw it there laying half open like someone had already gone snooping in it. Without hesitation she grabbed it as they ran. After they arrived at the church where Eunice and Sibeal were waiting for them with Stacy. They had gone back to the house and packed a few bags then straight back to the church to wait for news about Connor, Murphy and Noah. **

**After the news came, Patrick had wept for the grandfather he never got to know. He held the rosary in both hands and prayed for his father and uncle. Brea had held off on her own grief to comfort him. When they found out the Feds were looking for Romeo, Sibeal had arranged for him to be snuck out of the country and into South America. Brea had heartily given him a share of the money from the suitcase she had snatched up. When it was all counted out, it came up to almost 2 million dollars. Now, the rest of them were headed to meet with someone to plan out how to get Connor and Murphy out. Brea had wracked her brain to come up with something but most of her energy was concentrated on Patrick.**

**The SUV stopped and slowly everyone got out. Sibeal was talking to Eunice and handing her what looked like a passport. Brea and Stacy hung back.**

"**Mommy, is dad gonna be okay?" Patrick's voice jerked Brea out of her trance. "He promised me he would see me soon…" Patrick looked down. "He can't break it." **

"**He won't." Stacy said determined. She started walking towards the fishing dock where she could see Eunice talking to someone they hadn't seen before. Brea picked up Patrick and followed her.**

"**The Hoag aint just any prison." They heard Eunice say. Brea felt her chest jump.**

"**Wrong." The other man said "That's exactly what it is. Just a prison. Run by men. And men, as we both know, are fallible."**

"**Well, whatever we do, we gotta do it quick. Those boys aren't safe in there."**

"**Oh, I don't know." The man replied confidently. "A little birdie tells me, they're gonna be just fine." He turned towards Brea and Stacy. "You must be Brea." He walked towards her with his hand extended. She put Patrick down and shook his hand briefly. "I don't want you to worry." He said bending down to speak to Patrick. "We're gonna get your daddy out."**

"**How do you plan on doing that, Mr…?" Stacy asked with her arms crossed. The man rose.**

"**Smecker, Paul Smecker. And you are?"**

"**Stacy Albert. Just how do you plan on getting them out?"**

"**Any ideas?" Smecker asked.**

"**Possibly." Stacy smiled slyly. "The guys were pretty shot up right?" Brea wanted to smack her for saying that in front of Patrick.**

"**Yes…"**

"**So they are probably still in the prison infirmary right?" Brea's head came up as she realized where Stacy was headed.**

"**Most likely." Smecker put his hands in his hips. "What are you getting at?"**

"**We are both ER nurses. Generally, when the prison has inmates in the infirmary, they call for help from the hospital. The prison has been understaffed for years because no one wants to work in the infirmary regularly. Brea and I have been there a hundred times. There is a stairwell that leads straight from the infirmary to a helipad on the roof. If you could get one or both of us in…" Smecker smiled appreciatively. "Could you arrange it?"**

"**Absolutely." **

**Brea tried to hide the smile as she was led through the back entrance to the prison. The guard with her was someone she had seen several times but couldn't remember his name. He hadn't asked questions when Brea showed up with her infirmary pass. Her medical bag was clutched tightly in her right hand. She glanced at her purple watch. By now Smecker would be circling around the prison roof. She didn't know where he had learned to fly a helicopter but at this point she didn't really care. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid and she was wearing standard blue scrubs. Her white sneakers squeaked on the newly mopped floor. Inside her head she was taking inventory on herself, making sure she could remember the plan and not screw up. It was a fight not to crack up laughing at the thought that this was all Stacy's genius at work. Probably something she saw in a movie…**

**Stacy had taken Patrick on ahead to Ireland to get them all set up. It had only been four days since she last saw them but right now, it felt like a year. Brea cleared her mind and concentrated on making a straight face. The double doors to the infirmary opened and to Brea's utter amazement, she saw only one guard watching over the entire room. This was going to be a lot easier that she thought. Her escort left and Brea moved towards the curtain that had been drawn around the only two occupied beds.**

"**Their's a nurse here to look at you." The guard said sternly. "You guys just let her do her job." Brea moved so her back was to the guard and pulled the curtain back. At first both Connor and Murphy gaped at her. When they saw her serious expression they wiped their faces clean. Brea knew the guard was far enough away that it was safe to whisper, but he could still see Connor and Murphy's faces. If this went wrong, if they gave her away… She looked at them hard and knew they understood.**

"**I'm gonna hafta make sure those wounds are clean." She said setting her bag on a table between the two beds. "I just need to cut away those bandages." She spoke clearly so the guard could hear. Then, dropping her voice to a whisper she said, "We're getting you out." Neither of them said a word or moved from their beds. "There is a stairwell through that door." She signaled them with her eyes. She leaned over Connor with her scalpel. "Take it from me. Put it to my throat." In a split second Connor had grabbed the scalpel and forcefully whipped Brea around so she was facing the guard. He held the scalpel to her throat and Murphy jumped out of his bed and headed towards the guard.**

"**Put the fuckin thing down now!" Connor yelled at the guard. It killed him to hear Brea gasp and whimper and he had to remind himself it was all an act. The guard was pointing his gun back and forth between Connor and Murphy.**

"**Let… Let her go." He stammered wild eyed.**

"**I'll fucking slit her throat! Put the gun down now!" Connor yelled. The guard held his position.**

"**Please…" Brea begged. "I have a son, please…" Tears began to flow down her cheeks. Connor almost let her go for a second but the guard was looking at Murphy. By the time he looked back at Conner, he had regained his composure. He grabbed Brea by her hair and pulled her head back. **

"**I'll fuckin do it!" **

"**No, no!" The guard yelled. "Just stop." He put the gun down and backed away from it. Murphy quickly grabbed it and smacked the guard on the back of the head. Once he was out, Connor let go of Brea and dropped the scalpel. Connor and Murphy quickly dragged the guard to a sink and cuffed him to the pipe on the wall. Brea led them up the stairwell and to the roof. Smecker had just landed when they reached the helipad. **

"**I have to get back down there before he wakes up!" Brea yelled over the roar of the helicopter. Connor hugged her tightly. **

"**Will ya be alright?" He yelled back. She nodded. That was when he saw the rosary around her neck. It was a silver cross on a string beaded with black pearls. "I see Stacy gave you back your da's rosary." He smiled at her.**

"**It was worth breaking my vow of silence to get you back." She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him.**

"**Will you come on!" Smecker yelled. "We **_**are**_** on a schedule here!" **

"**I love you." Connor said into her ear. **

"**I love you." He kissed her quickly and ran to the helicopter. As they took off he saw her run back to the door that led inside.**

**Connor sat in the front porch swing with one arm around his son. It had been three weeks since their daring escape and he hadn't heard anything from Brea. Stacy had been waiting for them at the tiny airstrip when they landed in Ireland. She spent the three hour drive to their new home explaining that the plan she came up with was to have Brea tell everyone that she, Stacy, and Patrick were moving away from Boston to escape the crime. With everything Brea had already been through, no one would blame her. Connor just wanted to know what was taking her so damn long. Not that he didn't cherish every minute he spent with Patrick, but he missed Brea more every day. She had been right to question how either of them could have fallen in love after only one night together. He had wondered about it himself many times. But there was not doubt in his mind that the love was there.**

**The house Stacy had bought was on a huge sheep farm not too far from where the boys had previously lived. Stacy had already fixed up to main house which had three rooms for Connor, Brea, and Patrick. There was a smaller two room cottage several yards from the house that Stacy said was once where the farmhands lived. Now, Murphy and Stacy had taken it over. Stacy spent most of her free time in her new vegetable garden while Murphy and Connor took care of the several sheep, pigs, and chickens they had on their farm. Patrick, who had lived in the city all his life, loved the country. Connor was teaching him to ride a horse and they had even adopted a stray dog that Patrick had named Duke. **

**Connor looked down at his son. Patrick was reciting the family prayer, intent on memorizing it. Patrick's small hands were wrapped around the rosary on his neck as he concentrated. The sound of an engine made both of them look up. Connor saw a black jeep making its way up the dirt driveway to the house. He and Patrick got up and moved to the edge of the porch. When the jeep stopped Connor saw his uncle, Sibeal, climb out of the driver seat. Connor turned back towards the front door. Sibeal came around the farm pretty mush every other day so this was nothing new. **

"**Momma!" Patrick yelled. Connor snapped around. Patrick jumped off the porch and ran into his mother's arms. Connor almost felt dazed as he watched Brea pick Patrick up and circle around with him in her arms. If this wasn't heaven, it had to be damn close.**

**Brea set Patrick down as Connor came close to her. They embraced and kissed, ignoring Patrick's snickering. Connor pulled away and saw Stacy and Murphy coming towards them.**

"**Uncle Sibeal," Connor said still looking into Brea's eyes. "Where is the nearest church?" **

"**Not too far… Why?" **

"**Cause I'm getting married today. And Patrick is gonna be rechristened as MacManus." He kissed Brea on the tip of her nose.**

"**Hey," Stacy spoke up. "You know, the gentlemanly thing to do here is ask first. Like, get on your knee and everything." Connor knelt down on the muddy ground and looked up at Brea. Murphy snorted with laughter.**

"**Will ya marry me?"**

"**I dunno, I mean, shouldn't we date first? I hardly know you…" She said it seriously but couldn't hide the smirk.**

"**Marry me woman. We've got lots of time for getting to know each other." He stood up.**

"**I may have to think about this. Marriage is such a big step."**

"**I swear, after everything we've been through…" Connor laughed. "Why are you doin this to me?"**

"**Hey, I broke you outta prison." She poked him in the chest. He gabbed her hand and pulled her close.**

"**Come one Mom," Patrick said. "Marry him… I like him."**

"**See, I have support." Connor smiled. "Marry me… Please."**

"**Well okay, since you said please and did the knee thing… I guess I'll marry you."**

"**You guess?" Stacy slapped her hand across Brea's back.**

"**I will marry you." She finally said. Connor pulled her close again. "Just as soon as you shower."**

**A.N. I know I said this would be longer but I wanted to finish the story and not let it sit like some of my other fics did after I lost the idea. And again, I didn't want to write out the whole movie, Troy Duffy would probably try to hunt me down and destroy me for being evil to his script... I hope you liked it. Sorry if it was a ****disappointment****. Thanx for the encouraging reviews, they made me wanna update faster. Please give more feedback. I'm thinking about revamping it, making it longer... Possibly a sequel... Dunno yet. Shout out to everyone who helped motivate me on this and sorry for the spelling mistakes. I realized halfway thru the last chapter I had been spelling Connor's name wrong... My bad. **

**Luv ya, Akayla**


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